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Double red-and-white victory in the spectacular Stelvio: Matthias Mayer is there again when the pressure is greater, and Vincent Kriechmayr has not lost his game.
Bormio / Vienna. There are riders who have more wins than Matthias “Mothl” Mayer. But when the really big titles are awarded or the pressure is higher, then the man from Afritz am See wins. Olympic Gold 2014, Olympic Gold 2018, Kitzbühel 2020. And in Bormio, Carinthian redeemed the battered skiing nation with the first red-and-white victory of the season.
Because it was also important to adjust the balance of power within the ÖSV speedtem, compatriot Vincent Kriechmayr landed in the downhill classic on the unforgivable Stelvio just four hundredths behind Mayer in second place. Upper Austria, previously also runner-up in the Super-G, knew the importance after a total of 22 races without a win (women and men). “I am happy for our team to have won the race. Now, at least, we don’t have as much pressure in public, people don’t talk so much nonsense and we can continue working in peace. “
Ski-Synergy
Mayer and Kriechmayr were themselves responsible for the mounting pressure. The duo had a fabulous season behind them and had all six of ÖSV’s men’s victories last winter, including one-two at the Streif (Mayer before Kriechmayr), but this year they didn’t have an optimal start to the season. The second guard of the speed team surrounding Otmar Striedinger and Christian Walder had to intervene, in Val Gardena the ÖSV downhill runners were almost humiliated when Romed Baumann, who had retired in this country, left in his racing suit DSV.
Especially at Kriechmayr, he was baffled if Fischer’s surprising material change to Head might not have been the best decision. But the 29-year-old from Mühlviertel preferred to look for mistakes in himself and should be right.
In Bormio, where skiing technique, courage and determination were more in demand than ever after the many different races of Val-d’Isère and Gröden, the superior duo fought back. Mayer, who had his first World Cup downhill run ten years ago, was now celebrating his 10th World Cup victory and said, “So it all fits.”
This constellation also seems ideal: the two protégés of the experienced ÖSV descent chief Sepp Brunner succeed with the same material, they can exchange experiences, the service personnel Ingo Fink (Mayer) and Wilfried Wieser (Kriechmayr) use synergies, even if Kriechmayr got a bit on your skis. another plate used. It is quite possible that the decisive hundredths of a second came against the Swiss Urs Kryenbühl, who was only six hundredths of a second in third position.
That day, the Stelvio didn’t just offer notable downhill sports from a red-white-red perspective:
► Dominik Paris, who last won four sprints in a row here, reported with a wild run and fourth place. As a reminder: just eleven months ago, the 18-time world champion had torn his cruciate ligament in Kitzbühel.
► After his first World Cup victory in the Super-G the day before, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who is in overformation, showed another spectacular drive, was twice at higher risk of falling and still landed just 30 hundredths to go go back to seventh place. The American recalled his compatriot Bode Miller, who once lowered the Stelvio on a ski after his tethers came open seconds after take off.
► Despite ÖSV’s double win, Switzerland remains clear number one in the Nations Cup thanks to their compact squad. Even in the two races at Bormio with a total of three places on the Austrian podium, Mayer and company were able to score just 22 points (equivalent to a twelfth place) over the Swiss.
Departure Bormio
1. Matthias Mayer (AUT) 1:57.32 min.
2. Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) +0.04 sec.
3. Urs Kryenbühl (SUI) +0.06
Also: 4. Dominik Paris (ITA) +0.13 5. Mauro Caviezel (SUI) +0.16 6. Aleksander Kilde (NORTH) +0.28 7. Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) +0.30 10. Beat Feuz (SUI) +0.59 13. Max Franz (AUT) +0.96 14. Romed Baumann (GER) +1.02.
